GARDEN FLOWERS. 157 



the liberty of leaving that for consideration in a subsequent 

 chapter. Suffice it to say that, as a rule, the flower garden 

 should be arranged somewhere by itself, masked by trees 

 and shrubs, so that it may not interfere with the unity, 

 breadth, and simplicity of effect of the lawns and tree and 

 shrub plantations. The number of the species and varieties 

 of hardy herbaceous plants is legion. I could not in one 

 chapter, of reasonable length, begin to discuss all that are 

 worthy of mention. Since, however, the object of this 

 writing is rather to suggest and stimulate to farther re- 

 search than to exhaust the subject, I will content myself 

 with describing a few of the best known and most easily 

 obtained kinds. As one of the chief requisites of a flower 

 garden is abundant bloom throughout the season, I purpose 

 to consider briefly the spring, the early summer, the late 

 summer, and the autumn flowers. 



One of the greatest surprises and delights of the year is 

 the first discovery of a wild flower in March. It should be 

 understood, however, to prevent disappointment, that the 

 season of blooming gets much mixed during some years. 

 Early kinds will not appear until well-known later ones 

 have arrived, but the general relation of the bloom will be 

 in the main as I shall give it. 



There are few plants in the border that show bloom, 

 earlier than the winter heath (Erica lierbacea earned). It 

 is an old plant, but unfortunately one that has been little 

 used in this country. The habit is low and spreading, and 

 the flowers appear in March with the first budding of vege- 

 tation. Red flowers hang on their branches in racemes. A 

 lovely little plant that also comes in March during many 



